The Jacaré Lighthouse, located about 200 metres from the left bank of the Amazon River in the State of Amazonas, shows navigators the safest way to the Port of Manaus.
Near the right bank of the same river, the Moronas Lighthouse was built and inaugurated five years later.
It is worth pointing out that the Amazon River is the largest river in the world in terms of water volume. Moreover, it is the main means of natural communication between the two largest Amazon cities: Manaus and Belém. The Amazon River extends for 889 nautical miles, and today this means a five-day motorboat trip.
In order to mark the danger of the Puraquequara stones, the governor of the state ordered the construction of the Jacaré Lighthouse in 1905. Painted only in white, the lighthouse is very simple: it has a cylindrical concrete tower, 16 metres high.
However, during the Amazon River flood, you can only see 1.3 metres of the tower because the rest of the building is submerged.
The Jacaré Lighthouse and the Morona Lighthouse represent the greatest symbols of river navigation in the country.
Recife, 8 April 2004.
(Updated on 25 March 2008).
Translated by Peter Leamy, October 2016.
sources consulted
SIQUEIRA, Ricardo. Luzes do novo mundo: história dos faróis brasileiros. Rio de Janeiro: Edição do Autor, 2002.
how to quote this text
Source: VAINSENCHER, Semira Adler. Farol Jacaré, AM. Pesquisa Escolar Online, Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, Recife. Disponível em: <http://basilio.fundaj.gov.br/pesquisaescolar/>. Acesso em: dia mês ano. Ex: 6 ago. 2009.